Hot Body, Cool Attitude

Read an excerpt from Elsa Pataky’s cover story interview

In actress Elsa Pataky's native Spain, the phrase hacer un Pataky ("to do a Pataky") is as common as "the J. Lo glow" is here.

What does it mean? Essentially, to pose in a way that shows off your amazing ass(ets). It was coined when the Fast & Furious 6 star—and wife of actor Chris Hemsworth—innocently started glancing coyly over her shoulder at photographers on the red carpet, her backless dresses tempting eyes a little lower down to her enviable bottom.

Of course, this was never some grand spotlight-stealing strategy—it just happened. And Elsa isn't complaining.

"It's such a silly thing," she says in her charming, rolling Spanish accent. "But I feel like one of the most sensual parts of a woman is the back. And sometimes dresses are really beautiful in the back. I know people look at the bum, but you know, you work hard for it! It is hard to maintain and needs a lot of exercise. You have to work it."

And work it she does. Elsa, 36, is admittedly a fitness junkie, and her fabulous rear view is a welcome side effect. "Exercise is like an addiction. Once you're in it, you feel like your body needs it," she says. For her, that means strength training at least twice a week, doing yoga or Pilates three or four times a week, and, lately, practicing muay Thai, a martial art form also known as Thai boxing that she picked up from hubby Chris, 29, star of Thor and The Avengers. "He helps train me. But I have to punch up," she says with a laugh, referring to her husband's 6'3" stature (Elsa is about a foot shorter). While pregnant, Elsa exercised up to the day before her daughter, India, was born last May.

With a toddler and this workout schedule, it's hard to imagine time for much else—but Elsa is just as dedicated to her career. She's working on a documentary about children around the world, which she'll direct. (Elsa studied journalism in college prior to becoming an actress.) She's also writing a book with her trainer, Fernando Sartorius, star of the new Latino fitness show, Califorma. "We want it to be an inspiration for people to be healthy and change their habits," she says.

And then there's her day job: acting. Stateside, Elsa has starred in Snakes on a Plane and Fast Five (in which she plays cop Elena Neves, the role she reprises in Fast & Furious 6), but in Spain, she's starred in more than a dozen films and nearly as many TV shows.

"Aside from her beauty and presence, Elsa is extremely committed," says her Fast 6 costar Vin Diesel. "Every second that she is on set, she is focused on her character." And apparently she looks darn good doing it: "Oh, man, there's nothing like a sexy woman wearing a police uniform and being aggressive when she needs to be," says costar Tyrese Gibson. "She could put handcuffs on me anytime."

Because of Chris's busy work schedule, Elsa is being selective about the roles she takes on. "It's a good moment for him, so I'm looking for special roles, and, like, if it moves me inside." But now she also considers whether a particular project is worth the time it might take—she and Chris try not to be apart for more than two weeks. "The family is our priority. We both make an effort and give up things. [When you have a baby] you really have to change the way you view life. It's not just about you, but it's amazing."

Which is why she plans to do it again, saying she wants two or three kids. One of the things she first noticed about Chris, actually, was his love for family. "I knew he would be an amazing father. I could tell. He has three nieces and he loves them, and it was important for me to see that in a man--it's not really usual. It made us really close and on the same page in how we want things."

This includes living close to nature (their home is in Los Angeles, near the beach). An only child, Elsa was born into outdoorsy adventure, skiing the Pyrenees and Alps and biking with her father. She grew up in Madrid and envies Chris's rugged upbringing in the Australian bush. "He was in the wild," she says wistfully. "He has such good memories, and I want something similar for my family."

You might find the adrenaline-loving dynamo speeding on her--yes, her--Ducati motorcycle around a special track. Elsa also likes to perform her own movie stunts, once jumping two stories into a moving garbage truck without cushioning.

"With Fast & Furious, it can become an extension of people's personalities," says Tyrese. "It can't be a stretch for you. The little kid inside of you is going crazy, saying, 'I want to do that!'"

Elsa is as much of a daredevil off the set. On a recent vacation, she leaped off a huge waterfall. "There was a sign that said 'No jumping,' and there was this moment when I thought, Ugh, I'm doing a bad thing. And then my ass was so red from the impact," she says, laughing. "I looked like one of those monkeys with the red bum. It was so worth it. I loved it. I love that [moment when you're like] 'Eeee!'"

It's a statement that could sum up Elsa's philosophy on life in general: As with any courageous activity, there's always the risk it might sting. But it can also lead you to an awesome body, a fulfilling career, and, let's face it, a sexy (and devoted!) husband. You just have to leap.